I should have clarified @GardenerSuze - I was meaning the pink ones [spireas] that have the upright, candle flowers as opposed to the flatter flowers. They get big here, but maybe not so big for other areas. Had to look up the name - S. billiardii. https://www.paramountplants.co.uk/plant/spb/spirea-billardii.html
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I know @GardenerSuze. I realised I should have been clearer. It's bl**dy horrible IMO! I don't like the pink ones anyway, especially the ones with golden foliage, but that one is quite widespread as hedging here - perhaps it's because people are looking for a similar idea to the OP. There are far nicer, easy hedging plants though, whether for flowering or any other reason. If it was evergreen, I could see the useful bonus there, but it isn't
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thank you all. I'm in Surrey, so quite far south. There are a few mature hibiscus near me, so I'm hoping they would survive the winter here. We've got a good wholesale nursery nearby, which should stock most/all of the above.
Spirea (particularly the white one) is a nice idea - I do like them but they are a bit arching for my "hedge".
S. Snowmound is more upright, but if it's a hedge, are you not clipping it? The arguta ones are more arching, but they take quite severe pruning. I have to cut mine back almost every year, but I try to keep their 'fountain' shape as much as possible as they're stand along specimens rather than part of a hedge
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@liz289 You should be fine with Hibiscus unless your soil gets very wet over winter. The shrubs on your list have different needs when it comes to pruning. You want to create a hedge but is your thought to prune it like a hedge? If so this isn't going to work with shrubs that have different flowering time you will be removing developing flowers. I would describe what you plan to plant as more of a shrubbery as I have mentioned. Each individual shrub doing it's own thing with different growth rates. You have checked out Hibiscus locally perhaps a look around the neighbourhood to see what else is doing well? If it is a hedge you want I would stick with one or possibly two different plants.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Hibiscus is often used as hedges here in SW France, they can be quite big though, but they look pretty when in flower.
I have Choisya, it is very big, taller than me and just as wide, but you can prune them quite hard after flowering. The same for Viburnum Tinus. I think those two, especially Choisya would be too big for a hedge. I had an Escallonia hedge in clay soil when I lived in Kent with pink flowers. We trimmed it after flowering and it stayed like a hedge.
I have several flowering shrubs in my garden in clay soil that I think would be OK for making a hedge. They are in a shrub border where they grow fairly loosely but as they grow I will have to trim them. I have grown them all at previous houses. Weigela, Snowball Viburnum, Physocarpus which comes with either dark wine coloured leaves or golden to light green leaves, mine has grown quite big after 2 years but I trimmed it, Deutzia, Eleagnus Gilt Edge (evergreen variegated), Hypericum Hidcote.
I had a spirea Billardii, it was a pain in the neck as it kept throwing up suckers.
The philadelphus that I've had would all be too tall for a hedge except for philadelphus aureus which grew shorter and bushier.
I like mixed hedges but best to let them flower then trim them if you want flowers. The main trouble would be nesting birds. If you are thinking of trimming it I would be wary of anything prickly.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
I have Choisya ‘Scented Gem’ which I think is smaller (1.5m x 1.5m max height) than Choisya ternata. This is a ‘hedge’ of four plants planted in 2021; clay soil, south facing.
I like the scented leaves, which are thinner/finer than those on Choisya ternata. Evergreen through the past winter (2022/2023), covered in white flowers in spring and autumn. Right now there’s a smattering of flowers but it should ramp up in autumn.
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Had to look up the name - S. billiardii.
https://www.paramountplants.co.uk/plant/spb/spirea-billardii.html
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I don't like the pink ones anyway, especially the ones with golden foliage, but that one is quite widespread as hedging here - perhaps it's because people are looking for a similar idea to the OP.
There are far nicer, easy hedging plants though, whether for flowering or any other reason. If it was evergreen, I could see the useful bonus there, but it isn't
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Spirea (particularly the white one) is a nice idea - I do like them but they are a bit arching for my "hedge".
The arguta ones are more arching, but they take quite severe pruning. I have to cut mine back almost every year, but I try to keep their 'fountain' shape as much as possible as they're stand along specimens rather than part of a hedge
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You have checked out Hibiscus locally perhaps a look around the neighbourhood to see what else is doing well?
If it is a hedge you want I would stick with one or possibly two different plants.
I have Choisya, it is very big, taller than me and just as wide, but you can prune them quite hard after flowering. The same for Viburnum Tinus. I think those two, especially Choisya would be too big for a hedge. I had an Escallonia hedge in clay soil when I lived in Kent with pink flowers. We trimmed it after flowering and it stayed like a hedge.
I have several flowering shrubs in my garden in clay soil that I think would be OK for making a hedge. They are in a shrub border where they grow fairly loosely but as they grow I will have to trim them. I have grown them all at previous houses.
Weigela, Snowball Viburnum, Physocarpus which comes with either dark wine coloured leaves or golden to light green leaves, mine has grown quite big after 2 years but I trimmed it, Deutzia, Eleagnus Gilt Edge (evergreen variegated), Hypericum Hidcote.
I had a spirea Billardii, it was a pain in the neck as it kept throwing up suckers.
The philadelphus that I've had would all be too tall for a hedge except for philadelphus aureus which grew shorter and bushier.
I like mixed hedges but best to let them flower then trim them if you want flowers. The main trouble would be nesting birds. If you are thinking of trimming it I would be wary of anything prickly.
I like the scented leaves, which are thinner/finer than those on Choisya ternata. Evergreen through the past winter (2022/2023), covered in white flowers in spring and autumn. Right now there’s a smattering of flowers but it should ramp up in autumn.